October 2013 Movie Prequel Guide: A Checklist

With October comes even more indication that it is fall time. Before the October movies get into full swing, I wanted to give yet another installment of the Prequel Guide. For those that don’t know, it is your opportunity to find a centralized location for all the things you might want to check out before seeing a movie. Originals, sequels, prequels, novels, comic books, and etc. are all fair game in these posts.

I’ve organized the different materials in three different categories in descending order of importance. They are Essential, Useful, and Extra.

If you’re interested in checking out previous Prequel Guides, you can find them below:

(Note: This is repost as the release date was off in the September edition)

Useful:
“Four Days in November: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy” by Vincent Bugliosi – Parkland, the latest movie about the J.F.K. assassination, is based on the nonfiction book by Vincent Bugliosi. My hunch is Parkland won’t be able to cover the depth a book does, so if you want even more of the story, check it out.

Captain Phillips (October 11)

Useful:
“A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea.” by Stephan Talty –Captain Phillips is based on the 2009 hijacking of the MV Maersk Alabama outside Somalia. Paul Greengrass (who has a history of adapting true stories into movies) will direct the movie and it’s adapted from a nonfiction account of the events. It would definitely be a nice companion to the movie.

Machete Kills (October 11)

Useful:Machete – Machete Kills is a sequel to the 2010 film Machete. Since Kills returns Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Tom Savini, and Michelle Rodriguez, you’d think it was important to see the first one. However, the story doesn’t seem to have a whole lot of connection. You could probably get away without watching the first movie.

Extra:Grindhouse “Trilogy” – Machete Kills is also the third movie based on a Grindhouse fake trailer. If you want to complete the trifecta, you could watch Machete and Hobo with a Shotgun before your viewing of Machete Kills.

Romeo and Juliet (October 11)

Useful:
“Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare – Yet another adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet will make its way into theaters come October 11th. Beforehand, you could brush up on your Shakespearean plays, just in case the public school system failed you.

Extra:
Film – Besides the play, there are about a million film adaptations. Of them, the most notables are Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film Romeo + Juliet (starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes) and Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 critical darling Romeo & Juliet. There are 11 others if you don’t include this new one.

12 Years a Slave (October 18)

Useful:
“Twelve Years a Slave” by Solomon Northup – Steve McQueen’s (Shame) next picture 12 Years a Slave is based on Solomon Northup’s unfortunate autobiography. As you may know, Northup is the main character in the movie, so if you want an even deeper look into the story, check out the 1853 book.

Carrie (October 18)

Useful:Carrie (1976 film) – This month’s obligatory remake goes to Carrie, which is the Chloe Grace Moretz (Hugo) and Julianne Moore (Children of Men)-starring horror picture. The original Carrie, which released in 1976, was overwhelmingly positive with critics and crowds responding well to it. I’d suggest re-visiting it before October 18th.

“Carrie” by Stephen King – Some will choose to go the reading route, though, as Carrie is based on Stephen King’s 1974 novel of the same name. Book fanatics will undoubtedly point to this as a fantastic idea.

Extra:Carrie (1952 film) & Carrie (2002 film) – There are two other film adaptations of Carrie if you really want to get into the source material.

The Rage: Carrie 2 – A sequel to the 1976 film also exists…which I actually didn’t know until today. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, check it out. The connections to the new Carrie film won’t be there, though.

The Fifth Estate (October 18)

“Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange and the World’s Most Dangerous Website ” by Daniel Domscheit-Berg & “WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange’s War on Secrecy” by David Leigh and Luke Harding – The Fifth Estate is partially based on two different novels. The film is a thriller that probably takes some “creative liberties” with the plot, but a solid nonfictional basis could help!

The Counselor (October 25)

Extra:
Cormac McCarthy’s bibliography – Cormac McCarthy, most notably known for his novel “No Country For Old Men” wrote an original screenplay for Ridley Scott’s next film The Counselor. There are no other tie-ins, but fans of his work should be excited to see his turn as a screenwriter.

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (October 25)

Extra:Jackass film franchise – Jackass is more of a brand now. Those interested in Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa were likely tickled pink by Jackass: The Movie (2002), Jackass Number Two (2006), and Jackass 3D (2010). That would make quite the entertaining film marathon.

Jackass TV Series – Even before the movies came the TV series. Similar to above, it’s all about the name at this point with each installment being just crazier antics.

Jordan, who currently resides in Seattle, WA, has slowly become a film fanatic over the past couple of years. He attributes his love for film to the smash hit THE DARK KNIGHT which has created an (un)healthy obsession with both Christopher Nolan and the Batman franchise. Although he appreciates all genres of film, his favorite movies are typically psychological thrillers, with an emphasis on non-traditional narratives.